Homemade Mummy: How to make one

How to make a homemade mummy? Get corpse. Get gauze. Get comfy.

Another tribute to one of my favorite rappers of all time, Aesop Rock. Here’s a snippit from the song:

So yeah, pretty gruesome song about mummifying a cat. But come on, the lyrics are phenomenal. The chorus repeats “Take the brain out, leave the heart in.” So if you’re wondering whats up with the little heart dude in the bottom, there you have it. That’s also why the top of his dome piece is open. Boom. The answer to all life’s mysteries.

Homemade Mummy was one of the rare occasions where the idea seemed to just flow until it’s completion (minus the background). I threw on some headphones and sketched this sad, sad feline on some bristol board. I was surprisingly happy with the first swing at it too, which is rare. Had the Mrs. take a photo of it, threw it into Illustrator and had my way with it. It was a lot of experimenting with the color schemes. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you probably saw a couple process shots with the caption “I have no idea what I’m doing.” That was true, but it was still a crazy fun ride.

Had some fun with the background too, with help from my boy Rob. Sent him a couple variations for a critique, just like old times in college. He ultimately decided on the pinkish grunge, and I couldn’t be happier. So thanks, Rob. Check out his Etsy shop and snag about 100 of those writers blocks. Dude’s a genius. He also introduced me to Aesop Rock and El-P, so I’m forever grateful.

I’m wondering now if I should include the text “TAKE THE BRAIN OUT” at the top and “LEAVE THE HEART IN” at the bottom. What do you think?

Made Homemade Mummy available at Redbubble, and it will be up at Society6 shortly no doubt. Until then, check out the detail shots below. Get right up close to that ugly mug and give ‘im a kiss, will ya?

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